A conveyor belt monitoring system (100) includes a field generation array (106), a sensor array (104) and circuitry (408). The field generation array (106) is configured to generate a magnetic field. The sensor array (104) is positioned a convey or distance downstream from the field generation array and configured to measure a remaining magnetic field of a conveyor belt (102), the sensor array may include a series of sensors. The circuitry (408) is configured to determine conveyor belt characteristics of the conveyor belt based on the measured remaining magnetic field.

A transfer operation control unit changes, according to an operating state index indicating a level of an operating state of a plurality of transport vehicles (1) present on a travel path, a setting of a transfer operation such that a required transfer time (Tr) from start to completion of the transfer operation is increased as the level of the operating state is reduced, while maintaining at least one setting of a traveling speed of the transport vehicles (1).

A method of constructing a conveyor system includes decommissioning an existing conveyor system by removing electrification or a powered chain from a conveyor rail. Carriers of the existing conveyor system are removed from the rail. An automated conveyor carrier (ACC) is installed onto the rail so that a drive wheel of a self-driving trolley of the ACC is put into contact with the rail. A battery is installed on the ACC. Electrical connection is established from the battery to the self-driving trolley.

A detection system for an agricultural header includes a belt that has at least one physical feature driven by a roller at a roller rotational speed. The detection system also includes a sensor that detects a physical feature as it passes the sensor during rotation of the belt. The detection system further includes a controller that receives a signal indicating a first pulse of a first time a physical feature passes the sensor during the rotation of the belt and a second pulse of a second time a physical feature passes the sensor during the rotation of the belt. The controller further determines a pulse frequency based on the first and second times and calculates a belt rotational speed based on the pulse frequency. The controller compares the belt rotational speed to the roller rotational speed and provides an output if the roller rotational speed exceeds a threshold.

A system and method for conveyor configuration and testing. The system is configured to execute the method, which includes: receive input data relating to configuration of a conveyor system; prepare a simulation of the configured conveyor system; operate the simulation of the conveyor system; determine at least one operational parameter related to the conveyor system to be monitored; monitor the at least one operational parameter during operation of the simulation of the conveyor system; determine if the configuration of the conveyor system needs to be adjusted based on the monitored operational parameter; if the configuration needs to be adjusted, automatically make an adjustment and return to operate the simulation of the conveyor system; and continue the simulation until otherwise terminated. In some cases, the monitoring operational parameters uses a machine learning model based on actual data from operating conveyors.

A system for processing a material includes a pre-processing module configured to receive the material, mechanically stress the received material, and output the mechanically stressed material. The system also includes a pyrolysis module communicatively coupled to the pre-processing module and downstream of the pre-processing module. The pyrolysis module is configured to receive the mechanically stressed material from the pre-processing module and to perform a pyrolysis process on the received mechanically stressed material, thereby to produce one or more pyrolysis products.

A contactless monitoring system detects operating performance of movers in an independent cart system. A contactless sensor is provided on an actuator to automatically track a mover as it travels along the track. The sensor includes a transmitter configured to transmit a signal and a receiver configured to receive the signal after it is reflected off the mover. The actuator may be configured to mover the sensor in a single axis or in multiple axes of motion. As a mover travels along the track, the sensor transmits a signal towards the mover and detects the signal after it has been reflected off the mover. A controller may synchronize motion of the actuator with motion of the mover, such that the sensor may continually transmit the signal off the mover for at least a portion of the travel by the mover along the track.

A rotational speed measurement system includes a video device configured to obtain a video of a pulley of a conveyor belt system. The rotational speed measurement system also includes a strobe configured to generate a stroboscopic effect on the obtained video. The rotational speed measurement system also includes a memory device. The rotational speed measurement system also includes a network interface. The rotational speed measurement system also includes one or more processors configured to: generate a stroboscopic window using the strobe and the obtained video, synchronize the strobe with the obtained video using the stroboscopic window, determine a measured rotational speed for the pulley based on the synchronized strobe, and determine belt slippage based on the measured rotational speed.

An arrangement for controlling the operation of a draper belt header of a combine harvester includes a central belt conveyor of the draper belt header having a drive for operably driving the conveyor and two outer belt conveyors attached to a feeder house of the combine harvester. The feeder house has a controllable height which may be controllably adjusted by an actuator. The arrangement further includes a control unit operable to stop the drive of the central belt conveyor or move it into a reversing mode if the feeder house is being raised by the actuator.

A system for moving items in a facility may be described herein. The system may instruct components of the system to move the items at different speeds or velocities based on an item's fragility rating. A fragility rating may indicate an amount of force that an item withstands prior to damaging the item. A fragility rating for an item may be determined based on known fragility ratings of items with similar item metrics.